Vegetable peeling apparatus



July 25, 1950 J. B. PATTERSON VEGETABLE PEELING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20, 1947 fJWVENTUP JOHN B. PATTERS N y 1950 J. B. PATTERSON VEGETABLE FEELING APPARATUS 2 snets-sne t 2 Filed Feb. 20, 1947 JOHN B. I ATTEkSON Zia/5 Patented July 25, 1950 eE- D Pare NT OFF-[CE I "VEGETABIJE-TEELIN APPARATUS r iiahnzn. Batman, Wichita,Ka.-ns. 'fll filitation Februaryw, 1947,Serial No.729;165

aioiaims. (o1. 146-50) :1 This invention"relates-00am apparatus ior peeling vegetables-or *the like. M-oreparticularly, this invention relates to 'anajaparatus *forpeling vegetables of the type where'in a rota'ting' drum means for peeling vegetables is mounted in' a utility ca'binet such as may-be 'coriveniently I used ina restaurant.

the kitchens "of "restaurants and other similar establishments "where food in large quantities is prepared, work space is usually -very limited.

Ordinarily J space must *b'e provided -for -an-=apparatusfor autom'a'ti'c'all y peeling those *ve'getables which flendithemselves to this=type of preparation, a vegetable sink equipped with water spray connection for'spreparing' vegetablesmanually-and-a ila't top woi k' spaee' useful Tor -many operations. refrigerators must also be r acoommtidated, -and, therefore, it is readily apparent thatany- -ap paratus.-whioh1may he used for efficiently performing several of these necessany operations will "be readily accepted iand applied in theaverage restaurant.

With this in nriinol, it isflan imporiaant object of this inventionto-prbride a nov'lweg'etable peeling apparatus fmoun'ted :in a eab'inet v'viii'ch is so constructed*and designed that it may be usedz in a numberwof ioodi' -preparing operations.

vide' a vegetable vpeelingwrieuice of the rotating drum type-having a "11612261 peeling contact usurfa'ee.

A still furtherobjeot of this invention is to provide a vegetable -peeling-'-:devioe in which the rotating {drum -:is :rremovably' mounted.

Another :obj ect ;-of i this invention is *to :provide a vegetable peeling devicelhavingla:rotating :dlllm and. a device wasso'ciated 'theizewith for spraying water overtheidrum; as the drum i 'otated.

Another and further object ofazthisiinvention is --to provide anovel cabinet wvhiehzinetnipora' tes Other devioes' suehias stoves and a removable member for draining the refuse" which I has been washed mull-16f the rotatingzdrnm.

Another :and still further objeot -:ofTiahi-s invention :is 430 provide a wegetaiblepeeling device having *a for ipeeling wegetabl'es' and' cover portion operable inethez'openposition to prevent spreading of refuse.

A further :ob'i'ect ofwthis invention is therwzpro vision of novel tmeansnof positioning the 1di'1nn so thatit :may-be reasdilw mounted :and 'looked in operating position.

According :to the general ieatures zoi vention, there is provided a drum "iiemovably. positioned iior rotation upperlsink per-= tion of a cabinetysaid drum being driven-from an electric motor mounted "in the lower-"part- -'o'f said cabinet," and sa ii-sink portion comprising a dr'ain member having'a removable strainer element positioned'therein and a device for'siibjeeting said vegetables tolia spray I ofwater while they are being-peeled. v r

h further 'feature of this invention "is the provision of a novel druinha'ving a corrugated contact" surface o'f 'expa-nded metal, *metal lath 1 or sheet meta'l having-an inner surface for abtading' or peeling vegetables as they are tumbled in the 'dru'm.

'Aniither'ieature is the provision of i a novel socket member "comprising a journal portion anti a zplug positionable in anxaperture in the journal ortionto abut one side of the shaft of a drur'n rotatably' mountefi :thereinfor hol'oling said sli-aft against axial inovement.

n still further feature is"the provision' of n cover member adapted to be positioned over the upperisink. portion of The cabinet when'the' pe'elin'g "is not being iuse'd and movable #into an upright position in a recess in' th'eback' of vsai'dcoa'binet with a a portion of said gcover ."memoer projecting ab'oveihe u'pper suriace .to act as a guardzagainst the z-spreadwof refuse tfrom the vegetables whernthe' peeling drum is in operation. The novel'efieaturesi-which:I believe to be' eharacte'ristic of "-my' invention areiset :forth in the appended: claims. z My inventionphoweuer, both as to fits manner='0f construction :and method "of operation, togetherw'ith 'tfurther' objects Hand-advantages ithereof may 'best' be understo'o'd rby ref- "enence ito the following description; taken-in nonof the cabinet "as when thewdrumihas :beeniremovethtrand figure:- Gris :ran rerflaiig'edifragmentary viewa'oi As best seen in Figure 3, each side wall H and I2 is actually a double wall consisting of two side members joined to cross members at the top and the bottom and by closure plates at the front and rear. For ease in servicing a drive mechanism, to be described hereinafter, positioned between the inner and outer side members of the wall, the top and bottom plates of the side walls may be made removable. wall: l3 is substantially a flat sheet member having an upper flange |3a and a lower'flange I311v each extending forwardly toward the front of the machine. The front wall l4 has an upper vertical portion l5 including a rearwardly extending flange |5a and a lower portion |6 comprising two the doors closed when put in a substantially abutting relation;- An angle member is po-- sitioned below the doors, extending across the front of the cabinet and secured at either end as by welding to the side walls H and I2.

Referring to Figure 3, it is seen that there is provided an aperture Na in the upper portion of the inner side wall I l. A flange2l, which has a central opening in alignment with the aperture Ha, is secured to either side of the inner member ofthe side wall II, as by riveting. In similar manner a flange 22 is secured to the outer mem ber of the side wall I! facing inwardly and having its central opening directly opposite the opening in the flange 2|. These flanges are adapted to receive for rotation therein a shaft 23 which is keyed to a pulley wheel 24 and which has a square end 23a. A packing gland 25 is disposed over one end of the inner flange 2| to The rear in the form of a cylindrical sheet of expanded metal, metal lath or sheet metal having a plurality of openings and inwardly projecting contact surfaces for removing the skin or surface covering from vegetables.

On the outer side of the wall 36 is secured a journal member 38 consisting of a vertical flange portion 38a suitably attached to the wall and an outwardly extending shaft portion 38b. The outer side of the wall 3'lfcarries a flange member 39 provided with a square-shaped aperture adapted to receive the square end 23a of the shaft 23.

In at least one end of the drum 35, as in the end plate 31, there is provided an opening 31a of any suitable configuration for filling and emptying the vegetables in the drum.

'30 doors near the center vertical marginal edges I Ific and id of the doors which may beequippedwith any suitable retaining member for holding prevent leakage of oil along the shaft. The pulley wheel 24 is driven by a belt 25 disposed around a driving pulley wheel 21 which is driven by an electric motor 28. The motor may be conveniently mounted on a pair of cross members 29 which are rigidly supported on the angle member 20 0f the front wall and th flange |3b of the rear wall.v

On the inner side member of the side wall |2 directly opposite th flange 2| of the side wall H, is a bearing member 30 comprising a vertical flange portion 30a suitably secured, as by riveting, to the wall and an inwardly projecting bearing portion 30b which is substantially a half cylinder with its open side facing upwardly. An aperture 300 in the bearing 30 is adapted to receive a tapered plug 32 which may for convenience be secured to the side wall l2 by a chain 33.

As seen in Figure 2, a cylindrical drum 35v is adapted to be positioned in the cabinet ID for rotation by the pulley 24. The drum 35 comprises end plates 36 and 31 between which is secured a corrugated abrading or peeling element a. axial movement.

To mount the drum 35 for rotation in the cabinet, the square-shaped aperture of the flange aperture 30c in the bearing an. The tapered plug 32 is then placed in the bearing aperture 300. In this manner, the drum 35 is disposed for rotation by means ofthe pulley 25 about the axis of the shaft 23 and locked by the plug 32 against A spray of water is directed on the rotating drum 35 by'means of a pipe 40 disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the drum and positioned below and forwardly from the drum; This pipe 40 has a pluralitytof discharge holes 4011 facing the drum and is suitably connected to a vertical supply pipe 4| which may b connected between the inner and outer members of thewall ll.

4, is a drain board 42, having a downwardly extending flange 42a; secured as'by welding to the four side walls. A trough 43 disposed substantially halfway between the front and rear walls and having a length greater than that of the drum 35 is provided for directing the water tothe drain. The end of the trough 43 adjacent the side wall I2 is somewhat higher than the end adjacentthe side wall thus causing the water to flow to a waste pipe 44 suitably secured in an opening in the lower end.

A removable strainer tray 45, having the same shape as the trough 43, but being arranged to fit inside the trough, is adapted to be suspended therein from an upper flange 45a which projects over the edge of the-trough. The bottom plate of the tray 45 is perforated permitting liquid to pass therethroughto the drain below while retaining solid refuse such aspeelings from vegetables.

A removable cover is provided for the cabinet H) in the form of a rectangular member 50 which is of a size to completely cover the upper surface of the cabinet when moved to a closing position.

It is to be understoodthat the drum 35 must be removed before the cover 5|] can be closed. As

bers 52 which are secured in a vertical position as by welding to the back wall |3. When the cover is slid downward into channel members 52, the pins 5| will come to rest against the lower end of the slots 52a. The slots 52a are of a length such that a substantially large part of the upper portion of the cover 50 will extend above the top surface of the cabinet affording a splash plate or shield to prevent to a large extent water and refuse being thrown against any adjacent object such as a wall against which the machine has been placed.

As shown in Figure 6, the lower edge of the cover 50 is rounded, as at 50a, to afford easy pivoting of the cover in the channel members 52. It is further to be noted, as in Figure 4, that the forward edge of the channel 52 does not extend above the top of the machine proper in order that the cover may be positioned snugly on the machine.

In operation, the skins of any vegetables such as potatoes placed in the drum 35 will be removed by the abrading or peeling inner surface of the drum as the drum is rotated and the vegetables tumbled therein. The novel corrugated configuration of the drum permits the cutting surface to come in contact with indentations in the body of the vegetables. As the skin is removed from the vegetables, the spray of water is directed onto the drum and washes the skins out of the drum down into the strainer sink. Here the liquid will pass through the strainer while the refuse will be retained in the strainer and may be periodically removed by removing the strainer from the drain plate. This novel type of drum which is economical to manufacture and very efficient in operation, is driven by a simple, efficient drive means. The removable tapered plug used in connection with the bearing seat is considered to be a completely novel means for looking a rotating drum against axial movement while permitting rotation in the bearing.

It is readily apparent that when the rotating drum is not being used for peeling vegetables which may be peeled by that :method, it may be removed and placed in the lower part of the cabinet in the compartment afforded by the open space inside the doors Mia and 16?). There is then provided in the upper part of the cabinet a complete sink unit equipped with a water spray. Vegetables, fruits and the like may then be prepared manually in this sink portion.

When a flat-top work space is desired, the

cover member l5 may be slid up from the back side of the cabinet and revolved into position on top of the cabinet, thus providing the work space required.

It will, of course, be understood that various I claim as :my invention:

1. In a vegetable peeling apparatus including a power drivenhollow drum having an interior abrasive surface for removing skin from the vegetables and a pipe supplying Water to the compartment in which the drum rotates, the improvement which comprises a cabinet having an open top, a central inner chamber, a hollow side Wall receiving the drive mechanism for said drum, a shelf in said chamber defining an upper compartment for a rotating drum and a lower storage compartment, drainage means leading from said upper compartment downwardly through said shelf, a cover plate pivotal from a closing position over said open top'to an upright position against the back Wall of the cabinet with a portion extending thereabove and access doors for said storage compartment.

2. In a vegetable peeling apparatus including a power driven hollow drum havin an interior abrasive surface for removing skin from the vegetables and a pipe supplying water to the compartment in which the drum rotates, the improve- 'ment which comprises a cabinet having an open top, a central inner chamber, a hollow side wall receiving the drive mechanism for said drum, a shelf in said chamber defining an upper chamber for the rotating drum and a lower storage compartment, drainage means leading from said upper compartment downwardly through said shelf, a cover plate pivotal from a closing position over said open top to an upright position against the back wall of the cabinet with a portion extending thereabove, and slotted angle members secured substantially vertically at the corners of the back wall of said cabinet providing a guide passageway for receiving said cover plate when pivoted to said upright position, the slotted passage in said angle member receiving a pin on said cover plate for guiding movement therein and for limiting the downward movement'of said cover plate.

JOHN B. PATTERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 179,705 Law July 11, 1876 233,674 Hayes et al Oct. 26, 1880 612,398 Carver Oct. 18,- 1898 946,175 Walton Jan. 11, 1910 1,462,911 Hanson July 24, 1923 1,973,072 Hobson Sept. 11, 1934 2,100,793 Urschel Nov. 30, 1936 2,174,322 Hatfield Sept. 26, 1939 2,323,107 Wilson July 29, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 69,621 Norway Oct. 8, 1945 222,249 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1924 

